History
European Film Promotion 1996 – 2010
1996
After the dissolution of the European Film Distribution Office (efdo), the pan-European distribution support based in Hamburg between 1988 and 1996, Renate Rose begins developing the idea with European promotion and export organisations of setting up a joint marketing platform for films from Europe: together with the later EFP founding members, Renate Rose organises in September 1996 (still in her function as deputy managing director of efdo) the presence of European films and their representatives under the title of THE EUROPEANS IN TORONTO at the Toronto International Film Festival. First thoughts about the founding of EFP become concrete.
The following people played a key role in supporting the founding of EFP: Lissy Bellaîche (then Danish Film Institute), Marieanne Bergmann (FilmFörderung Hamburg), Juana Bienenfeld (Hamburg Cultural Office), Bruno Berthemy (then Unifrance), Max Dehmel (then Federal Ministry of Economics), Jacques Delmoly (then MEDIA Programme) , John Dick (then MEDIA Distribution), Christian Dorsch (German Films), Juliette Duret (then Wallonie Bruxelles Images), Voula Georgakakou (then Greek Film Center), Staffan Grönberg (Swedish Film Institute), Rita Goegebeur (then Flanders Image), Rainer Hanus (Hamburg Economic Authority), Jan Eric Holst (Scandinavian Films), Eva Hubert (FilmFörderung Hamburg), Anna Maria Karlsdottir (then Icelandic Film Centre), Dieter Kosslick (then Filmstiftung NRW), Claudia Landsberger (Holland Film), Thomas Mirow (then Hamburg's Senator for Economics), Kathrin Müller (then Swiss Films), Stine Oppegaard (Norwegian Film Institute), Simon Perry (then British Screen), Martin Schweighofer (Austrian Film Commission), Kirsi Tykkyläinen (Finnish Film Foundation), Christina Weiss (then Hamburg's Senator for Culture), Fréderique Westhoff (then MEDIA Programme).
Renate Rose succeeds in securing the financing of the EFP administrative expenses for 1997 in Hamburg – the supervisory board of FilmFörderung Hamburg agrees to financial support amounting to 130,000 DM, the Federal Ministry for Economics grants likewise with the same amount.
1997
Founding of European Film Promotion e.V. during the Berlin International Film Festival on February 16, 1997.
The founding members are:
Belgium (Flanders Image, Wallonie Bruxelles Images), Germany (German Films, then Export Union), France (Unifrance), Greece (Greek Film Center), Great Britain (British Screen Finance), The Netherlands (Holland Film), Austria (Austrian Film Commission), Switzerland (Swiss Films, then Swiss Film Center), as well as Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden as a country grouping (Scandinavian Films; represented since 1998 as individual institutes: Danish Film Institute, Finnish Film Foundation, Icelandic Film Center, Norwegian Film Institute and Swedish Film Institute).
Membership development:
The same year sees Ireland (Irish Film Board), Portugal (ICAM) and Spain (ICAA) joining the first pan-European network EFP.
Renate Rose from Hamburg is appointed managing director, Claudia Landsberger of Holland Film is named president.
Project development:
The first projects to be organised are the presence of the small countries at the Cannes International Film Market and the presence of European directors and their films at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Financial support:
Along with the project-linked grants from the EFP members, EFP received financial support from the MEDIA Programme of the European Union for the first two projects; initially, the funding is linked to specific projects, but EFP has received an annual contract since 2003. The Federal Ministry for Economics (BMWi) supports EFP's administrative costs until 1998. The grants from Filmförderung Hamburg continue until 2000. Since then, EFP has received the grant for the administrative costs from Hamburg's Cultural Office and the BKM.
1998
Project development:
During the Berlin Film Festival, European acting talents are presented for the first on a large scale with SHOOTING STARS.
At the American Film Market in Los Angeles, a European Umbrella Office is installed for the first time, a service for European sellers and producers.
1999
Membership development:
Luxemburg (Film Fund Luxembourg) and Italy (Filmitalia (2004), then Italia Cinema) join EFP.
Project development:
European directors and their films are presented for the first time at the Pusan International Film Festival (South Korea).
Financial support:
The BKM (Federal Commissioner for Affairs of Culture and Media) decides on the funding of EFP.
2000
Project development:
At the Cannes International Film Festival, European producers are presented and introduced to one another for the first time through the PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE project.
Financial support:
The French film funder CNC (Centre National de Cinématographie) decides on the granting of financial support for EFP.
2001
Project development:
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Czech Republic) sees the introduction for the first time of a new sidebar VARIETY CRITICS' CHOICE: EUROPE NOW!, in collaboration with the international film trade magazine Variety and the festival, presenting ten European films and their representatives.
Financial support:
Hamburg's Cultural Authority decides on the funding of EFP.
2002
Membership development:
The Czech Republic (Czech Film Center, then APA) and Hungary (Magyar Filmunió) join EFP.
Project development:
As a complement to the presentation of SHOOTING STARS at the Berlinale, small groups of a particular year's SHOOTING STARS are presented at selected European festivals as part of the TOURING SHOOTING STARS FILM PROGRAMMES.
2003
Membership development:
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania join EFP as the country grouping of Baltic Films.
Project development:
EFP presents European directors and their films at the Buenos Aires International Film Festival for the first time.
2004
Project development:
At the Rotterdam International Film Festival, EFP launches the PASSIONS & PROMISES programme which has young directors speaking in chat shows about their films and their passion for cinema. The project takes place until 2006.
In 2004 and 2005, EFP presents European directors with their films at the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival within the NEW FACES IN EUROPEAN CINEMA project.
EFP sets a new trend. With the initiation of its FILM SALES SUPPORT project, EFP receives financial support from the MEDIA Programme to provide funding for the first time specifically for the marketing of individual films at selected festivals outside of Europe.
2005
Membership development:
Slovenia (Slovenian Film Fund) and Bulgaria (National Film Centre) join EFP.
Project development:
The INDUSTRY SCREENINGS IN NEW YORK are developed as EFP's first project independent of a festival and they are continued with three events in 2006.
2006
Membership development:
Poland (Polish Film Institute), Slovakia (Slovak Film Institute) and Romania (Romanian Film Promotion) join EFP.
2007
Project development:
EFP launches a new event, PICTURE EUROPE! THE BEST OF EUROPEAN CINEMA, which presents new European films directly to the cinema audience in European cities through special events. The project starts in Madrid, Berlin, and London and continued only in 2008 in Munich, Copenhagen and Madrid.
2008
Membership development:
Serbia (Film Centre Serbia) and Croatia (Croatia Audiovisual Centre) join EFP.
Project development:
After 10 successful years, EFP changes the concept for SHOOTING STARS: for the first time, EFP appoints a jury of prominent industry figures to select the best SHOOTING STARS from a variety of talented up-and-coming actors from all over Europe.
EFP launches the new initiative EUROPEAN DISTRIBUTORS: UP NEXT! in partnership with the Sales and Industry Office of the San Sebastian International Film Festival. This new project is focussing on dynamic distributors in Europe and in its first year on 10 distributors from the new EU member states supporting independent, and in particular, European cinema. The aim of this initiative is to foster the wider trans-national distribution of European films, to encourage theatrical distributors to invest in adequate distribution for non-domestic European films and to offer up-and-coming European distributors a platform where their talent and potential can be recognised. International trade magazine Variety is the media partner, highlighting the 10 distributors with spotlights in its magazine.
2009
The EFP member organisations elect a new Board of Directors which is now composed of seven members. New EFP President is Eva Vezer (Magyar Filmunio), EFP Vice-President is Claudia Landsberger (Holland Film).Membership development:
The Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia/FYROM (Macedonian Film Fund) joins EFP as its 31st member country.
2010
Project development:
EFP launches the new initiative, BRIDGES EUROPE - TURKEY in partnership with the Istanbul International Film Festival. 2010 will see Istanbul take on the role of European Capital of Culture, which provides a unique background for a special programme of European and Turkish films to be screened during the 29th edition of the Istanbul International Film Festival. EFP, in close cooperation with the festival authorities, will organise and present a programme of new European and Turkish films with the aim of facilitating and improving the distribution of European films in Turkey and, at the same time, those of Turkish films in European countries. Bridges Europe - Turkey also aims to raise public awareness by organising information and publicity campaigns.
Financial support:
The MEDIA International Programme of the European Union decides on the funding of the project.
